Allen Craig was left off the NLCS roster because he’s not recovered from a broken foot, but the Cardinals are holding out hope that he can be available for the World Series and he took a step toward that goal yesterday.

Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports that Craig took live batting practice “with a handful of teammates cheering and chanting his name as he stepped to the plate.”

Langosch also notes that Craig did some running, but the Cardinals are being very careful with how much they ask him to do in terms of cardio and mobility for fear of aggravating the foot injury. He’s got some big hurdles to clear in the meantime, but having Craig available as a bench bat or maybe even as a designated hitter would be a nice boost for the World Series.

His first base fill-in, Matt Adams, had a big NLDS versus the Pirates but has started the NLCS in a 0-for-7 slump.